Arkansas-White-Red River Basin Report -- Water and Related Land Resources

Excerpts from the report: The 11,342,080 acre study area (about 17,722 square miles) has about 34,100 residents. The major portion of these people reside in Tucumcari, Raton and Clayton. The study area is located in the northeast corner of the State. It is bounded on the north by Colorado, on the east by Oklahoma and Texas, on the south by the Texas-Gulf and Pecos River Basins, and on the west by the Rio Grande Basin. The basin includes all of Union, Colfax, and Harding Counties and portions of Mora, San Miguel, Quay, Curry, and Guadalupe Counties. The principal drainages are the Cimarron and Canadian Rivers and their tributaries. The basin extends about 160 miles north and south and, about 130 miles east and west. The primary purpose of the USDA-New Mexico cooperative river basin study is to determine where improvements can be accomplished in the use of water and related land resources, along with social, economic, and environmental impacts, through the assistance of the Department's projects and programs. The purpose of this study is to help plan for the development, management, and use of water and related land resources of the Arkansas-White-Red River Basin. This study will provide the local people, the State of New Mexico, and federal agencies with information on USDA programs whereby plans for: (1) the development, conservation, and use of the natural and human resources; and (2) the Improvement of the economic and social opportunities of the people can be properly addressed.